From The Frozen Ashes
by The Last Ronin
Summary: All magic has a price...even the kind meant to strip a person of their magic, and the loss of Emma's light magic reveals something else inside her. Something that was born when she was placed in the wardrobe and banished to this world. Something cold.
1. From The Frozen Ashes

I have to say, I didn't plan on this going where it went. I wrote the first page last night and then set it aside because I had no idea where it was going and I felt it was far too short to post as it was – barely 300 words.

But I liked the idea so I sat back down to work on it this morning and…this happened. Totally unexpected but I loved the idea and ran with it.

As always, enjoy!

And please let me know what you think too!

_**~The Last Ronin~**_

**x-x-Emma-x-x**

I don't know how long I stayed with my family before I had to get out of there. It was probably only a few minutes but it had felt like hours. As much as I want to stay, want to really meet my little brother, I just can't. The panic has been building all afternoon, ever since the well, but I've managed to keep it walled away. Without the adrenaline brought on by fighting Zelena, by…without the chaos, I finally feel that wall cracking at an alarming rate.

The blood drains from my face as a piece of that wall gives way and I rush from the room, tears already filling my eyes. Vaguely I hear people calling after me but I ignore them. I can't be here. I have to get away. Somewhere else. Anywhere else.

I run.

I'm not sure where exactly I'm going but eventually blurry shapes and colors fill my vision as I rush through Granny's, a nauseous tightness clenching my stomach at the smell of her cooking, at the sound of people gossiping happily. I ignore it all, my hands shaking as I pull my key from my pocket and try to fit it into the lock on my door. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit! The key slides home and I twist it viciously, yank the door open and dive inside, slamming the door shut behind me.

And I fall apart.

Alone at last, I sink to my knees, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, and curl forward until my forehead touches the ground, a strangled sob bubbling from my throat as the emptiness overtakes me. It's gone. I gasp for air around another sob but I my lungs refuse to work…I can't breathe. It's gone. Frantically I feel around inside me, trying to find something...anything, any small shred of evidence that contradicts what I already know to be true but the search is futile. It's gone. It's gone. It's gone. It'sgoneit'sgoneit'sgone…

My magic is gone.

Tears pour down my cheeks and I sob. Despite my arms trying desperately to hold it at bay, the emptiness inside slowly spreads through me; a cold void coursing relentlessly through my veins. Pins and needles follow behind, goose bumps cover my skin and shivers wrack my body as a chill settles over me. My teeth chatter and a metallic taste fills my mouth as I accidentally bite my tongue.

Just as quickly as it came, the chill vanishes…mostly…leaving behind this vile feeling that's terrifying in it's familiarity. I know this feeling, I've felt it my entire life and a litany of words flash through my mind…words which still don't even come close to describing this feeling.

Orphan. Unwanted. Alone. Unloved. Bastard. Trash. Different. Worthless…

Hundreds of others parade through me in an endless cycle and I scream, clawing at my skin, trying to tear those words out of me. Something…sorta…warm and red begins to run down my arms but the words…the words don't stop and I lurch to my feet, the panic resurfacing. My clothes quickly vanish as I hurl myself into the shower, turning the water to it's hottest setting. I have to get rid of these disgusting words that cover me. I grab a washcloth and begin to scrub at my skin, harder and harder until the water running down the drain has a pink tinge to it. No matter how hard I try I just can't get rid of this feeling…this emptiness.

With a sob I hurl the cloth against the wall and sink to the floor. I hug my knees to my chest and stare blankly at the water still streaming down around me. The words continue to slowly brand themselves upon my body, my heart, my mind…my soul and as time passes, the water growing cold, a sort of numbing acceptance takes over. This is me. This is my future.

I stand and shut off the water before stepping out into the small bathroom. Not bothering with a towel, I swipe at the frost that has overtaken the mirror, clearing a small peephole. I stare at my reflection, a part of me aware that the sudden rapid fall in temperature should be disturbing but it doesn't bother me and I don't pay it more than a thought. No. This is me…the real me. The color begins to leech out of the person staring back at me, eyes turning an icy blue as her skin and hair turn white as snow; the real me.

The water on my body freezes and falls away, revealing a racy blue dress that is probably not something a woman my age should be wearing but I don't care. It makes me feel…well, nothing…but I like it. Slowly I lift my hand, staring at the pale skin and I feel like I'm finally seeing myself for the first time. This is the real me. This is the real me, the me I've known about my entire life but was never able to fully embrace.

Confident. Beautiful. Powerful. Magical.

New words surface and drape over me; armor against the outside world and all who would try to hurt me. The last word though, strikes a particular chord within me and as I take in my new appearance a multitude of ice crystals grow out of thin air and begin to dance around me; tiny spirits celebrating my existence.

And I laugh.

Zelena had wanted to strip me of my magic but she failed. All The Wicked Witch succeeded in doing is reveal my real self: the one who has been smothered my entire life. Like so many others before her, the witch saw only the person on the surface; she never bothered to look deeper. Sure on the surface my magic had been warmth and light and love due to the circumstances of my birth. But the circumstances of my life had fostered a very different kind of magic within me; one that had never been able to fully manifest.

Until now.

Ice trails after me as I stride from the room, remnants of who I once was. New purpose fills me as I open the door and briefly I pause to look back over the room I've occupied since coming back to Storybrooke again. For a second a spark of longing burns within me but it's quickly frozen by the cold magic now coursing through my veins. This isn't me anymore…never really was.

Turning back I step through the door and let it all go.


	2. Rise of The Ice Queen

So how bout that finale? All I could think about when I saw the final scene was "Holy Hell! I wrote this fic almost a week before!"

Anyway, a few people expressed interest in seeing this continued so after thinking on it a bit I decided to give it a shot and see where it goes.

Enjoy!

_**~The Last Ronin~**_

**x-x-Killian-x-x**

I stare at the flask in my hand, silently debating the merits of taking another sip. Despite the fact that my list of pros far outweigh my list of cons, I just can't find the energy to take that drink.

Deep down I know that she isn't going back to New York, despite what she says. I know this because there are a good number of people who will fight her decision to run, again, and though I'm sure she'll dig in her heels at first, eventually she'll change her mind. She has to.

But what if she doesn't? As much as I don't want it to come to that, a part of me can't help but play out the possibility in my head. What if she does leave? What if she makes it perfectly clear that she seriously doesn't want this life? What then? How far am I supposed to go for her before it becomes delusional stupidity?

I groan as I stand, tucking my flask into my coat. No more rum tonight; it's just screwing with my head right now. She's not leaving because I'm going to convince her to stay. The world tilts a little as I get my feet under me and I didn't realize I drank that much. On second thought, maybe I better wait till tomorrow to convince her. As much as I have a feeling I'll want the numbness of alcohol for that conversation, it's probably not the best idea to have that conversation when I can barely feel my face. Who knows what idiocy will cone out of my mouth like this?

An icy wind blows in off the ocean, snapping me awake and I wrap my arms around myself for warmth. Bloody Hell where did that come from? My teeth chatter as I shiver and I hasten for the inn. I've felt cold winds before - it's not uncommon out on the ocean - but this is something else entirely. I pick up my pace, eager for the warmth promised by being indoors.

I turn towards the back door of the inn, not really wanting to have to see anyone else right now despite the cold. The door swings open far too easily and I pause. Did someone forget to close it? For a moment I start to shrug it off when something crunches beneath my feet as I step inside and pull the door shut. What the...snow? Granny is not going to be happy about someone having trailed snow through her back hallway.

Shaking my head I trudge upstairs, the chill slightly less now that I'm inside and away from the entrance. The trail of snow goes clear up to the room...directly across...from mine: Emma's room.

"Swan?" I call quietly, my hand automatically moving to knock. This door too, hasn't been fully closed and it swings open at my touch.

I stop, my eyes refusing to register what I'm seeing. A shiver sliding up my back shakes me from my stupor and I step into the snow covered room.

"Swan?" I call once more, my feet slipping a little, "Emma?"

As much as I wish it didn't, my voice remakes slightly as I search the room and adjoining bathroom. It's useless though, both places are completely empty beyond the out of place piles of snow.

I curse. Emma's gone.

**x-x-David-x-x**

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out before the noise can wake the baby. I sigh in relief as I see my daughter's name flashing on the screen. I'd been worried when she left so suddenly.

"Emma? Are you ok?" I ask.

"Er...how does this bloody thing work?" Curses the voice on the other end.

"Hook? What are you doing with Emma's phone?" My mind immediately jumps through dozens of possible reasons why the pirate would be calling me from Emma's phone and I cringe; none of the scenarios are good.

"David? You there mate?" Hook shouts and I hold the phone away from my ear till he finishes.

"You don't have to yell," I wince, "now what's going on?"

"You need to get to the inn," Hook says at a much more reasonable volume, "Emma's...Emma's gone and her room is a mess."

The blood drains from my face as every father's worst nightmare starts to play over and over in my head; my child is missing.

"I'll be right there," I say quietly, ending the call, and then turn to let Snow know I need to step out for a few. My wife, for once, doesn't pick up on my distress as her attention is completely focused on our newborn son and I hurry out before she has a chance to notice. I don't want to keep something like this from her but I don't want to worry her either...at least not until I'm sure there's something to worry about.

**x-x-Emma-x-x**

The door freezes solid as I push it open; the added weight causing it to swing away from me quickly. With a crash the door hits the wall, the glass shattering. A small, nagging, part of me feels like I should be irritated by this but for the life of me I can't find the energy to care.

I pick my way around the frozen glass and walk down the hallway to the station office. Voices drift into my ears and I can't believe no one has come to investigate the noise I made. Although...who else could be here considering David is probably still back at the hospital?

The scene before me as I step into the office doesn't surprise me in the slightest. In fact, I would have been more surprised not to find Rumpelstiltskin here. The old wizard turns to me, his eyes widening I shock as he takes in my new appearance.

"Ms. Swan?" He starts but, with a flick of my fingers, ice encased his limbs. It's not enough to hold him indefinitely but it is enough to give me time to pluck his dagger from his hand.

"Don't move, don't speak," I command him before he can reach for me or start casting anything, "I'm here for Zelena. Do not interfere."

I slide the dagger into a sheath of ice that forms at my waist and turn towards the former wicked witch. For her part, Zelena at least has the decency to look afraid as she backs away from the bars.

"E-Emma?" She stammers and I level a glare at her that snaps her mouth shut before she can say anything else.

"Nervous Zelena?" I glide up to the cell and begin tracing the bars, freezing them one at a time, "Not so eager to be wicked now that you are the one who's powerless are you."

"But I...but I took your magic!" She stares, "How are you...?"

"Yes, you did take my magic...my light magic," I knock lightly on the cell door and with a grown it shatters, "unfortunately for you..."

Ice creeps along the floor as I enter the cell and begins crawling up the walls. Stepping right up to Zelena my ice climbs her legs, trapping her in place. I reach up and drag a single finger along my prisoner's cheek. The woman shrieks as the flesh I touch freezes and chips away in small flakes.

"Not so smug now," I grip her face, my eyes holding hers as her face drains of what little warmth it ever held, "I suppose I should thank you for releasing me."

Zelena's mouth opens, a scream dying in her throat as ice encases her body. With a quick, effortless twist, I tear her head from her shoulders. Rumpelstiltskin's eyes widen once more in surprise as I drop the frozen head onto the cell's small cot.

"Now," I turn to my audience, Zelena already forgotten, "as for you..."


	3. Nor'Easter

So…about one week since the finale. How's everyone surviving? :)

But on the plus side I have a tentative idea of where this is going.

Enjoy!

_**~The Last Ronin~**_

**x-x-David-x-x**

I'm greeted by a blast of freezing wind as I step outside the hospital, followed by a pile of snow blowing off a tree and onto my head. What the Hell? New England weather can be ridiculous but I know there hadn't been mention of any blizzards in the report this morning. And that's what this is – not a freak shower but a full on storm.

Cursing, I hurry to my truck, dive inside and twist my key in the ignition. For several precious seconds the engine refuses to turn over before catching and roaring to life. I turn the heat up as far as it'll go, turn on my lights and wipers, shift into gear and start to ease forward.

In under a minute the vehicle is sliding sideways down the road, narrowly missing a parked car before coming to a stop against a snow bank. Holy shit this is insane! A bit of fancy maneuvering later and I'm back on my way, being extra careful this time. My caution doesn't prevent me from nearly driving off the road on several occasions, but eventually I make it to Granny's.

The restaurant is packed to capacity with people trying to escape the storm and several shouts to "close the door!" welcome me as I walk in. I do my best to stomp the snow off my boots and brush it off my clothes – receiving a grateful look from Granny – before I head towards the back and up to the inn.

"Where the bloody Hell have you been?" Hook exclaims as I turn the corner and nearly walk right into him.

Judging by the path he's worn through the snow in the hallway he's been pacing for a while…wait…snow in the hallway?

"Have you looked outside?" I ask my friend, still trying to figure out how there's several inches of snow inside the inn. I mean, I can understand a little being tracked inside but not this much. Plus, it's fairly warm in here and yet the snow doesn't appear to be melting at all.

"No, why?" Hook asks as I push open the door to Emma's room and…find myself back outside.

No, that's not right – I can make out the bed and dresser and walls. Everything is just covered in snow, "Because it's even worse out there than it is in here."

Clearly puzzled, Hook opens a window and sticks his head out. I can't help but chuckle at the string of colorful curses the pirate produces as he sees what's going on outside.

"What the bloody Hell is going on?" He runs his hand through his hair, dislodging an impressive amount of snow for the scant few seconds he'd had his head out the window.

As amusing as his reaction is, I can't help but echo the sentiment. What the Hell is going on? And where is my daughter?

**x-x-x-x-x**

"Leroy?" I call as I descend the stairs back to the restaurant, "Are all your brothers here?"

"Yeah we are," the dwarf replies, shuffling over, his siblings in tow, "what do you need?"

"I need you guys to get the plows up and running and start putting a dent in all the snow on the roads. Focus on Main Street, the area around the hospital, the station, town hall, the schools and Granny's first…Archie! Mother Superior!"

The dwarves hurry off as I search the crowd – I know I saw those two earlier…

"What can we do for you David?" Archie emerges from the crowd followed shortly by Mother Superior, both of them with arms full of blankets.

"You've already started doing it," I gesture towards their burdens, "but let's get some emergency shelters set up. Start sending out messages to people and have them relocate to the school if they can. Use that as our primary shelter and we'll include the town hall if we need more room. Have people gather blankets, food…find a couple of spare generators. You two able to manage all that?"

"Of course," Mother Superior replies, already pulling out her phone, "I'll gather the sisters."

"What are you going to do?" Archie asks, his own phone in hand.

"I'm heading back to the hospital to check on things there," I call over my shoulder, already heading for the door.

"What do you need me to do?" Hook materializes by my side before I take two steps.

"Find Emma," I tell him without hesitation.

"You sure you want me to focus on one person when…," he gestures around us.

I shake my head, a smile tugging at my face as I catch how much it hurt him to say that…and it hurts me to admit he's not wrong but…, "No, find her."

He will, I know, even before he nods. He's right that we shouldn't be focused on one person given the situation but he won't be able to focus until he knows she's safe. And neither will I.

**x-x-x-x-x**

The hospital looks like an overturned ant colony when I return. Nurses scurry every which way; organizing paperwork, supplies and patients. Trying to stay out of the way, as much as possible, I hurry back to my wife's room.

"David!" The relief on her face is apparent and I drop a kiss on her lips before looking down at our son cradled in her arms, "What's going on?"

"Blizzard," I say, "a bad one. How are you and the baby?"

"We're fine, really," her face scrunches up in clear frustration, "I just wish I could help,"

"You can. Where's Henry?"

"He left with Regina not long after you did," Snow starts and I have my phone out before she can finish.

"Mother Superior?" I ask when the call connects, "Has anyone checked on Regina? Henry's…"

"They're both at the school already," Blue replies, "Regina is managing things there."

"Ok good, thanks," I hang up and turn back to my wife, "found them, they're fine. I need to find Whale real fast. I'll be back."

I'm out the door again before Snow can protest, though I do hear her sigh behind me. Despite everything I can't help but grin: not even a day since giving birth and she already wants to be back in the thick of things. Some things never do change.

**x-x-Killian-x-x**

This is bloody ridiculous I trudge through the knee deep snow, already freezing my ass off, as I head for the sheriff's station. And to think I saw one of the dwarves driving one of those plows down this street not ten minutes ago…I think.

Thankfully I can see my goal, though I'm not entirely sure how I'm getting in as I can't see the door. I curse some more as my foot snags on something buried and I pitch head first into a drift. It takes me several minutes to extricate myself and by the time I do I have snow in every possible place on my body. Fantastic.

The front door of the station is completely blocked by snow so I head around back. Even this entrance is partially blocked though it's nowhere near as bad as the front, and my hand feels like it's about to fall off by the time I clear the area enough to slip inside.

I sigh at the welcome increase in temperature, however slight, and shake the snow off of myself. The lights are off in the building but given the state outside there's enough light for me to make my way to the office without too much trouble

"Emma?" I call as I poke around, even though I don't think she's here. Still, I need to make sure in case she's hurt or there's any clues as to where she's gotten off to.

I don't know how long I look around but the light has dimmed considerably before it dawns on me that the place is completely empty…and it shouldn't be. There should be at least one person here, even if Emma isn't. The cells. Zelena is gone. With another curse – I seem to be doing that a lot recently – I pull Emma's phone from my pocket and call David. Can this day get any worse?

**x-x-David-x-x**

Can this day get any worse? We've already sent several ambulances to the school; transferring patients who are able to be moved but we can't take everyone. It's not lack of room either – the school has plenty – it's just that there are a couple of people we simply can't move.

It's frustrating to have to divide our resources like this when it's really not a good idea to be doing so. The storm isn't showing any sign of lessening though – if anything it's gotten worse – and we need to be ready for the possibility of being buried for several days…if not longer.

In my pocket my phone buzzes and my heart leaps into my throat as I see my daughter's name before I remember that Hook has her phone.

"Please tell me you have good news," I say and I can practically hear the pirate grimace on the other end o the line. Hook keeps the update short and a few curses slip my lips at what he has to say.

"Ok," I say once he's done, "thank you and please keep me updated."

"Aye, of course," the pirate replies before ending the call.

I should have known I was tempting fate when I thought the day couldn't get any worse. After all, "it can always be worse" is damn near the definition of our lives.

Without warning the lights go out, plunging the hospital into silent darkness. I wait patiently for the backup generators to kick in but nothing happens. Several minutes pass before I give up that hope with a sigh.

Well crap.


	4. Frozen Silence

Yay another update! Sorry for how short this one is but I'm already working on the next chapter so I should have that one up relatively soon (for me that is lol…)

Enjoy!

_**~The Last Ronin~**_

**x-x-David-x-x**

The silence is making me nervous as I hunt through the hospital's boiler room, flashlight in hand, trying to find the breakers. Half of that nervousness comes from the knowledge that it should be deafening in here if everything was ok. The other half, however, comes from memories of watching "Jurassic Park" with Henry the other night. So, while I know how absurd it is, my mind insists on turning every sound and shadow into giant prehistoric lizards ready to rip me apart in amazingly painful ways.

A rattling fills my ears, and I spin to the right, a shout ripping from my throat as I see a pair of reptilian jaws packed with razor sharp teeth flying at me. I fling my arms up instinctively to protect my face – not that such a maneuver will deter a dinosaur – and wait for the pain to start. Sweat trickles down the back of my neck as the moment of my demise grows longer and my brain slowly begins to register the fact that I'm probably not in any danger.

Despite that realization, my arms shake as I peek over them and aim my flashlight at the source of the noise. A pair of tiny eyes attached to an equally tiny body stare at me from where it sits on a pipe and I release a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

A Goddamn mouse.

My heart slows to a pace where it isn't trying to beat out of my chest and I slump against a pipe that probably shouldn't have ice forming on it. That observation goes a long way towards sobering my over-active imagination and I take a deep breath to help calm my heart rate down to a reasonable speed.

Right. I can't afford to be fooling around. Not now when this freaky blizzard is quickly burying the town. First things first though. I need to get power back on in the hospital.

Now where the Hell are those breakers?

**x-x-Killian-x-x**

I don't bother to knock on the door as I enter The Crocodile's shop, the bell announcing my presence anyway.

"Rumple is that…," Belle starts, hurrying out of the back room. Her smile falls as she sees me and she slows

"Sorry lass," I brush a bit of snow off my coat," I take it The Crocodile isn't here?"

"I haven't seen him all day," she says, her hand reaching behind the counter.

"Easy lass," I hold my hand up to stop her from grabbing whatever weapon she has hidden back there, "I just came to ask if Emma has stopped in at all today."

The brunette relaxes a hair and shakes her head, "I haven't seen her either."

"Bloody Hell where is that woman?" I curse to myself before looking back at Belle, "They're setting up a shelter at the school. You should grab any provisions and make your way there before this gets much worse. You don't want to be alone in this storm and perhaps The Dark One is there already."

She nods and I turn to leave, though I don't for a second believe Rumpelstiltskin is at the school and I doubt Belle does either. With Zelena missing, odds are he's with her again. The bloody wench must have gotten her grubby hands on his dagger once more.

If that's the case, then as much as I hate to admit it, finding Emma may be the least of our worries.

**x-x-David-x-x**

"David!" Leroy calls as I emerge from the hospital's basement.

I managed to find the breakers and then get the backup generators running so the emergency lights are on for now. We don't have a ton of time before we run out of fuel though so we're going to have to start cooking up another plan for when we lose those.

"Leroy, why aren't you out keeping the roads clear?" I ask.

The dwarf runs a hand down his face, knocking loose a shower of ice from his beard, "Trucks are stuck. It's just coming down too hard"

A string of curses slip from my lips before I can stop them. Leroy stares at me, a mixture of shock and pride on his face. I groan; I really have to stop hanging out with Hook. Shaking my head I make my way towards the door but Leroy grabs my arm to stop me.

"You're not going to see anything there," he grimaces and starts for the stairs, "this way."

I follow the dwarf as he climbs upwards, growing more and more concerned as we pass both the second and then the third floor.

"Are you serious?" I ask as we step out onto the fourth floor and Leroy just shrugs, leading me to a window.

After some messing around we manage to unlock the large pane and slide it open. My mouth falls open as I take in the sight before me. The snow is still coming down but the only thing outside is absolute silence. Other than the tops of a few trees and buildings there's nothing.

The town is gone.


	5. Is There A Square Before One?

Well, with this chapter I've done something that I've spent a really long time not doing: listened to the advice of someone else. I have a collage professor somewhere who would be rolling over in his grave if he were dead. But since he's still alive I suppose I've just given him a heart attack.

Oh, I've updated all the other chapters to reflect this change…fairly certain it's pretty obvious.

Enjoy!

_**~The Last Ronin~**_

**x-x-David-x-x**

People huddle together in blanket swaddled groups as they hurry down the hallways. I don't blame them either; the classrooms are far warmer than the halls and most people don't set foot out of them other than to go to the bathroom or get food. If it weren't for the fact that we need to figure out where all of this snow came from and how to get rid of it I'd be focused on staying warm with my family myself.

"Any news?" I ask as I enter the teacher's lounge.

Snow looks up from our son and shakes her head, "Hook and Henry should be back from a supply run soon and Regina just went to take a look outside to see if it's still coming down."

"Belle, anything?" I ask the woman sprawled out on the floor, nearly surrounded by books.

The librarian shakes her head too, frustration written in the furrows between her bloodshot eyes. I'm almost certain, if the dark circles under her eyes are any hint, that she hasn't slept for several days.

"No, there's nothing anywhere about freak snowstorms," she throws a book aside, "if Zelena s doing this I've no idea how."

"I'm sure Rumpelstiltskin is fine," Snow says quietly, "we'll find him Belle."

The young woman's gaze turns to my wife and my heart gives a painful tug at the despair I see there. She's trying to keep it together but it's been days since anyone has seen Gold and Belle is slowly falling apart.

A swirl of purple magic erupts in a corner of the room and then dissipates, leaving Regina, white powder dusting her hair and coat.

"Well, it's still snowing," she grimaces, brushing some of the offending substance off herself, "and it doesn't appear to be slowing."

"Well…I suppose so long as it's not getting worse that's a good thing," I offer and the Queen snorts.

"I'd hardly call our town being buried in fifty feet of snow a good thing," she says dryly.

"Regina," Snow chastises gently and the older woman rolls her eyes.

"Right right, the bright side. Congratulations, we've figured out that our world is going to end in ice. Get me a glass and let's toast to not having to wonder how we're going to die."

I can't help the snort of laughter that slips from my mouth. A smile brightens my wife's face and despite her worry, one is even threatening to pull up the corner's of Belle's mouth. Well at least spirits aren't at rock bottom just yet.

"Not to interrupt the good cheer of knowing our end," Belle says and I just barely manage to hold in the laugh that evoked, "but are you certain Zelena couldn't be doing this alone? I can't find anything that would enable her to conjure a storm like this. No genie's, no spirits, no abominable snowmen. Nothing."

"I'm sure," Regina nods, snow flying free of her hair, "as powerful as my sister is, this degree of magic is beyond her. Even if she and Rumpel were to combine their power I don't think they could do this. No, she has some sort of help that specializes in ice magic."

Well, that puts us right back at square one. We're getting absolutely nowhere in figuring this out. Perhaps it's time to redirect our energy back to another problem that I've been trying to pretend isn't a problem for a while now. Emma. Maybe if we can find Emma we can finally begin to unravel the source of our mysterious weather.

**x-x-Killian-x-x**

"So, um…can we maybe not tell my family that we got involved in a car chase with the police?" Henry asks hopefully as we unload the food and clothing we'd been sent to procure.

I grimace as my mind drifts back to our earlier adventure. As the only two – with Emma still missing at least – able to leave Storybrooke, we had been nominated to drive to the next town for supplies. The only problem with that plan bad been the actual driving part. David had given Henry a single driving lesson a week or so ago which is one more lesson than I've ever had so the lad ended up driving – something I understand to be on the less than legal side of this land's laws. My normal willingness to bend the rules aside I hadn't exactly been thrilled about the thought of putting Emma's son in harms way yet we didn't have much of a choice. Desperate times and all.

To say the trip was harrowing is probably down-playing the situation too much but I really can't think of a better word for it. The journey to the next town – the name of which I can't even begin to pronounce – hadn't been too bad; we got lost several times and the vessel swerved around the road far more than it had when Emma was at the helm, but otherwise nothing too crazy had occurred.

Making our purchases had been uneventful, aside from a few raised eyebrows at the amount we were buying. It was, however, during the return trip that things got really interesting. Shortly after leaving the town I realized we were being followed by a vehicle that looked suspiciously like the one Emma uses to patrol. A few minutes later and lights ignited atop the pursuing machine and a curse that would have made the oldest of sailors proud slipped from Henry's mouth.

Without another word the lad had accelerated, racing for the safety of the Storybrooke town line. That had been a tense several minutes during which I began to wonder if I shouldn't have gotten my affairs in order prior to embarking on that voyage.

:I think that is one adventure we can keep between ourselves," I nod to the boy as we finish unloading our supplies.

"Thanks," Henry lets go of the breath he'd been holding, a grin forming on his face, "that was wild though!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I shrug and shoulder a pack of food, "I slept through the trip."

Henry laughs as we set off down the tunnel Regina and the dwarves had cleared through the snow, hauling as many parcels as we can. We walk on in silence, save the sound of our breathes fogging the air and the snow groaning on occasion. I just wish I knew where Emma is in all this. Her lad isn't worried, despite the fact that it's been nearly a week since anyone has seen her. He insists she's fine and probably just got trapped somewhere by the storm with a dead cellphone. I want to share his optimism – I certainly know Emma can take care of herself – but I still can't help the nagging feeling that something is wrong.

Henry stumbles over something and my hand shoots out to catch him before he falls.

"Thanks again," he shoots me another grin as he gets his feet back under him.

I don't reply, however, too focused on what he tripped over. Squatting I begin brushing snow away from the half buried object. My eyes widen as I realize what it is I'm looking at and I quickly wipe the shock off my face before the boy notices.

"I just realized I left something in the car," I tell him, "why don't you go on ahead and I'll catch up."

"You sure? I can wait here."

"No point in waiting out in the cold," I shake my head, "I won't be long so get going."

He gives me a puzzled look but heads off anyway. I wait until he's out of sight before I set about digging up what we found.

**x-x-David-x-x**

"Really Grandpa, we didn't have any problems," Henry tells me and I can't help feeling like he's not being completely honest.

"That's good to hear," Snow smiles at our grandson, rocking our son in her arms.

The door opens in a rush of cold air and Hook steps in, a bit of snow still on his leather coat. He pushes the door closed to keep in the warmth before looking around. His eyes find mine first before shifting to where Henry is animatedly talking with Regina. I suppress a groan. I don't like the look in his eyes.

"Henry," he calls, "Archie was looking for you. He wanted help passing out some blankets."

"Ok!" The boy calls before zipping out of the room and the rest of us turn to the pirate.

"What was that about?" Regina demands, making no attempt to hide her irritation at having her time with her son interrupted.

"Sorry, but I've some bad news and the lad doesn't need to see this," Hook pulls his satchel from his shoulder and drops it on the table with a heavy thunk.

My blood turns to ice in my veins as I stare at the clearly spherical object within the bag. Hook's words play over in my head and I reach for whatever it is he's brought back that he doesn't want Henry to see.

"Did you find out something about Emma?" Snow's voice trembles as she too stares at the bag, the panic I hear matching what I feel.

"What?" Hook asks, confusion playing over his features before realization dawns in his eyes, " No! No. That's not what I meant."

Both my wife and I breath a sigh of relief, though I'm still on edge from fear for what I briefly had been imagining might have happened to my daughter.

"No, I haven't found anything about Emma. The bad news is for you your Majesty." Hook looks towards Regina, "This storm isn't Zelena's doing."

"And why do you say that?" Regina asks, clearly confused.

Hook doesn't answer, save to gesture towards his satchel and I reach out to open it. Snow gasps and I curse while anger and pain flickers in Regina's eyes. Sitting within the small bag is Zelena's head, lifeless eyes staring out at nothing and I quickly cover it back up. For several long minutes no one says anything before I voice the conclusion Hook had alluded to.

"Well, if Zelena is dead.."

"Then who the Hell is causing this storm?" Regina seethes.


End file.
